Forward-thinking preschools maximize enrollment by listing their programs, age groups, and curriculum approach prominently. GMB Everywhere reveals exactly what competing preschools highlight so you can attract more families seeking quality early childhood education.
Imagine someone searching for "preschool near me" or "early childhood education" on Google. They see a list of preschools—some at the top, some buried below.
Ever wonder why some preschools show up first while others don't? That's what we're going to explain. And don't worry—we'll keep it simple.
Your Google Business Profile (or GBP for short) is basically your preschool's online business card on Google. It shows your name, location, phone number, hours, photos, and parent reviews. When someone searches for early education options, Google decides which preschool profiles to show based on a few key things.
Google wants to show people the best, most relevant results. So it checks three main things about your business. Think of these as the "three pillars" that hold up your local ranking.
This sounds obvious, but many preschools have inconsistent information online. Google checks if your name, address, and phone number match everywhere—your website, business directories, and Google. If they don't match, Google gets confused and won't show your profile properly.
Quick check: Is your preschool name spelled exactly the same on your website, directories, and Google profile?
When someone searches "preschool near me" or "Montessori programs," Google looks at your preschool profile to see if you provide those programs. If you haven't listed them, you won't show up—even if you offer those services.
This is where categories and services come in. We'll explain these in detail in the next section. For now, just know that telling Google exactly what you do is really important.
Google reads parent reviews. Lots of positive reviews tell Google that parents trust your preschool. Replying to reviews shows you're responsive and professional. Both boost your search ranking.
Think about it: would you choose a preschool with 3 reviews or one with 50+ positive reviews? Google thinks the same way.
Here's the good news: You don't need to be a tech expert to improve these things. Most of it just takes a few minutes to set up.
Now, let's dive deeper into the part that matters most for preschools: categories and services. Once you understand these, you'll be ahead of most preschools in your area.
Remember when we said Google needs to know what you do? This is where you tell it. Let's break this down into two simple parts.
Why this matters: Of all the things you can control on your Google Business Profile, categories have one of the biggest impacts on your local rankings. Pick the wrong ones, and you won't show up when parents search. Pick the right ones, and you'll appear for the exact programs you offer. Our case study proves that adding relevant categories doesn't hurt your rankings—it actually increases your visibility.
Think of categories like labels on a filing cabinet. Google uses them to sort businesses into groups. When someone searches "preschool near me", Google opens the "Preschool" folder and shows what's inside.
If your preschool isn't in that folder, you won't show up. It's that simple.
You get to pick one primary category (your main label) and a few secondary categories (extra labels for other early education services you offer).
Here's what a typical preschool might choose:
Pro tip: Not sure which categories to pick? The checklist below will walk you through exactly how to find the best categories for your preschool.
If categories are the folders, services are the specific items inside. They tell Google (and prospective parents) exactly what you offer.
Let's say someone searches "Montessori preschool near me" or "half-day preschool." Google will check if you have those services listed. If you do, great—you'll show up. If you don't, Google assumes you don't provide them.
Think of it like a program menu. If a service isn't listed, families searching for it won't know to contact you.
Services a preschool might list:
The more services you list, the more family searches you can show up for. Just make sure you actually provide what you list!
Here's a simple action plan:
Not sure where to start? The checklist below will guide you through the categories and services in just 20 to 25 minutes.
Work through each item below. By the end, your preschool profile will be optimized for better local rankings and more family enrollments.
Explore optimization guides for childcare centers, kindergartens, and other early education providers
Complete suite of professional tools for Google Business Profile management
How to use:
Open any business on Google Maps - primary and secondary categories display automatically beside the profile
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Search for any term on Google Maps - click the Local Scan button to compare all GBPs
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'AI' button beside the GBP to use AI features
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Find more' button beside categories
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Basic Audit' button beside the GBP
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Review Audit' button beside the GBP
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Teleport' button beside the GBP
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Open any business on Google Maps - click the 'Post Audit' button beside the GBP
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